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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/30140373">A New World of Possibilities</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/startrekkingaroundasgard/pseuds/startrekkingaroundasgard'>startrekkingaroundasgard</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Doctor Who (2005)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Developing Relationship, Emotionally Repressed, F/M, Friendship, Kidnapping, Pre-Relationship, The Master (Doctor Who) Being a Bastard</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 17:48:13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,460</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/30140373</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/startrekkingaroundasgard/pseuds/startrekkingaroundasgard</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Grabbed off the street, the reader makes a decision to befriend this angry, arrogant bastard in the hope that travelling together will make him just a little less sad.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>The Master (Dhawan)/Reader, The Master (Doctor Who) &amp; Reader</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>17</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>A New World of Possibilities</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
You stared, one part confused, possibly one part intrigued, but the
remaining parts utterly terrified, at the hand that protruded from
the wall – not from a hole in the wall, from <i>within</i>
the bricks themselves – as lithe fingers curled around your
wrist. It was warm, a physical weight. The sharp bite of nails into
your flesh confirmed it wasn’t a projection or hallucination. It
was an honest to god, real hand from <i>inside</i>
a wall. 
</p>
<p>
You’d only stepped
out to
pop to the shops. 
</p>
<p>
Unsurprisingly, fear won out over all other emotions and your shouts
echoed down the alleyway but no one came to your aid as it pulled you
against the surface, <i>through</i>
the boundary. The air was squeezed from your lungs as space warped
around you, bending light and sanity. The hand, which you now
realised was attached to a person, held you up and stopped you from
falling to your knees. 
</p>
<p>     “Say something interesting.”</p>
<p>
	

     

“Don’t
suppose you’ve got any milk? I need some for my tea.”</p>
<p>
The man studied you for a moment,
his dark eyes picking up on
every twitch of your muscles and uneasy glance about your
surroundings. You took the opportunity to do the same and get a
reading on this place, to find the nearest exit. What struck you
first was the sheer size of the room. No. Not a room. A ship of some
kind. It was distinctly alien, like something off the TV. Dark and
gloomy, the only lights were burst of red that left you struggling to
see the details of the space. 
</p>
<p>
Practically all the light was
focused on a central console. Piloting controls, maybe? Hundreds of
small buttons and dials covered the hexagonal structure and you had
the distinct urge to run over and pull the bright red lever on the
far side. A smile tugged at your lips as you considered the insanity
of this, of all the
possibilities it might open up.</p>
<p>
He was still watching you reactions.
You felt the weight of his gaze against your skin, felt a warmth
creep up the back of your neck in uncomfortable embarrassment over
being seen so clearly. You smoothed your expression and turned your
attention to the man himself. Every inch of this place left an itch
inside your skull. It was too much to process, too bonkers to
properly comprehend, but he was decidedly normal in comparison. 
</p>
<p>
A strange sense in fashion, that
couldn’t be denied, but he looked human enough. His
dark hair was overgrown and uncared for, flopping over half of his
face. Much of his face was hidden by an uneven beard and you wondered
whether it was an alien fashion or a simple lack of self care. It was
his eyes that captivated you most however before you could get a real
read on him he pulled away.</p>
<p>
The
man huffed and released your
wrist, purple coat billowing as he turned to
the control station. “You’ll
call me Master.” 
</p>
<p>
	

     

“Oh,
will I?” You touched an
arching pillar, surprised by the vibration beneath your fingertips.
It was only logical, you supposed. If this was a space ship then it
would have to have engines of some kind. “And why’s that?”</p>
<p>
	

     

“Because
I am your superior.” 
</p>
<p>
	

     

“If you say so.” 
</p>
<p>
You brushed past him and took a seat
near the console, watching as his hands darted across the controls.
There was a distinct rhythm to the way he moved, off beat and
syncopated, almost jagged and sharp in some movements, but still a
captivating motion. Did the ship require that sort of musical
precision or had he been piloting it for so long that it was just
second nature? 
</p>
<p>
Making yourself comfortable, you
asked, “Don’t you want to know my name?”</p>
<p>
	

     

“Not really.”</p>
<p>
You told him anyway. “Where are we
going, then?”</p>
<p>
The Master slowed, a little frown
visible beneath the flop of hair, before returning to the quick
series of pressing buttons. It was only as he rounded the hexagon for
a fourth time that you realised it was just that: a series, a set
pattern. This was just a performance, completely unnecessary. A test?</p>
<p>
Waiting until he made his fifth
round, you kicked a foot onto the controls to stop him in his tracks.
“<i>Are</i> we going
anywhere? Or is this just supposed to make me dizzy?” Met with
silence, and a glare so intense that it could have burned a hole
through your shoe, you dropped your leg and waited until the
clattering echo died away to ask: “Why am I here?”</p>
<p>
Still
he wouldn’t answer so you just sat back and tried to
look bored in the cold, uncomfortable, metal chair. In truth, you
wanted to jump up and race around the ship, to explore every part of
the vastness and see just how far it went, to learn as much as you
could about The Master. You didn’t quite favour your odds against
him though and, until you were sure that he wasn’t going to kill
you, you would stay where the door was within sight. 
</p>
<p>
Just as your resolve began to fade,
The Master peered around from the other side of the console where he
had been hiding (or reading maps or whatever he claimed). He swung a
screen around to you and said, “Choose a planet.”</p>
<p>
The display was intuitive and it was
easy to zoom in and out of random regions of space. With little to go
on, you make a grand sweeping gesture and touched a purple looking
planet. You stumbled back
as The Master peered over your shoulder, struck by a sharp pang of
guilt when you saw the briefest hurt in his eyes. 
</p>
<p>
	

     

“You just startled me.” You
smiled tightly. “Sorry.”</p>
<p>
	

     

“Doesn’t matter.” The Master
looked at your choice and shook his head. Hidden in the shadows cast
by the towering pillars overhead, you swore you saw him crumple his
nose. That indignation was
sweet. “Really? Rexalon?
You couldn’t have chosen a more boring place if you’d tried.”</p>
<p>
	

     

“Pick something for me, then.
Somewhere exciting. I trust you.”</p>
<p>
His head shot up sharply. In
three long strides he stood before you, radiating menace. He squared
his shoulders, narrowed his eyes, every part of him preparing for an
attack. “You shouldn’t.”

</p>
<p>
The
blatant attempt at intimidation went straight over your head. He
obviously expected you to run, to duck away and leave forever. You,
however, would do the exact opposite. Remain
wary, of course, for you weren’t a fool but there was something
about him… You could only imagine what circumstances left a man
this angry, this broken. This lonely. Above all else, that was what
you knew him to be. And truthfully you were lonely on Earth, too. So
maybe you wouldn’t trust him, you wouldn’t hand him your life on
a platter, but you weren’t going to run either. 
</p>
<p>
You
hoped that somehow he picked up on that, knowing instinctively that
those were words he wasn’t yet ready to hear. Nevertheless, he <i>did</i>
need a friend and you could certainly do with an adventure. So, you
dropped a hand on his shoulder and said sincerely, “Okay, then. I
won’t. You can still pick us a planet, though. Somewhere far away
from here.”</p>
<p>
The Master shrugged off your hand,
tugging on the lapels of his jacket to pull it back off centre. He
held your gaze for a moment longer before nodding. With a flick of
his fingers, he brought up a bright
pink and green planet on the
screen. “Brigado Ger. Home
to the largest volcano in the entire Jupilari system. A hundred
million light years away from this miserable little planet.”</p>
<p>
	

     

“That definitely constitutes far
away.” He hummed, almost amused by your comment. “Will it erupt?”</p>
<p>
	

     

“Absolutely. I’ve got the
temporal co-ordinates set for eruption day.”</p>
<p>
Taking the fact it was a time
machine in your stride, you asked, “Is it safe?”</p>
<p>
	

     

“As long as you do what you’re
told.”</p>
<p>
	

     

“Are you always gonna be an
arrogant prick?”</p>
<p>
The Master grinned for the first
time, a blinding smile that took your breath away. He tapped the
screen, locked in the co-ordinates, then said, “Hold on tight.” 
</p>
<p>
The entire ship shook before your
hand made contact with the nearest surface and you clung on for dear
life. The red lights flashed overhead. The dials on the console spun
out of control. It was absolute mayhem, overwhelming every sense.
Then there was silence. 
</p>
<p>
Hoisting you to your feet, The Master all but pushed you towards the
door and muttered, “Ready?” You nodded. Your heart was racing and
you could hardly breathe but god were you ready. Sensing that nervous
excitement, The Master flung open the doors and swept his hand out.
“After you.” 
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Come talk to me on Tumblr (same URL) or let me know what you thought with a little comment!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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